Veitch Nurseries

Veitch Plant Introductions

The Nurseries of James Veitch & Sons have been credited with introducing a staggering number of plants into cultivation. Hortus Veitchii, published by James Veitch & Sons in 1906 contains over 1,500 plants introduced by the firm. In fact, the Veitchian Nurseries were so successful in their introduction of new 'exotic' plants, that you would be hard-pressed to find a garden in Britain which does not either contain a 'Veitch' plant or one dirived from one of their collectors or hybridists. However, many of these plants are now at risk in the wild or have been lost to cultivation which is why growing rare plants and keeping them accurately named is so important.

Azara microphylla. Copyright © Caradoc Doy Azara microphylla
Introduced by Richard Pearce, from Chile in circa 1861 for James Veitch's Nursery in Exeter.

There are many other plants too which were introduced by the Veitch firms which are not much documented. A comprehensive list of these plants is currently being compiled, details of which I hope to publish here when time allows. But this is a time-consuming project which has so far taken me six years of research and which is developing slowly. This is partly due to having to refer to old and scarce books and that many of the plants introduced by Messrs. Veitch have been renamed sometimes several times making checking and cross referencing a slow task. So, please bear with me!

In due course, lists of the following plants introduced or raised by the Veitch Nurseries will appear below:

238 Orchid Species
513+ Orchid Hybrids
402 Stove and Greenhouse Plants
48 Insectivorous Plants
117 Exotic Ferns
49 Coniferous Trees
239 Trees and Shrubs and Climbing Plants
122 Herbaceous Plants
37 Bulbous Plants
Begonias
Hippeastrums
Nepenthes
Greenhouse Rhododendrons (Vireyas)
Streptocarpus
24 Fruits and 44 Vegetables

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Meanwhile, here are a few of their more well known introductions to whet your appetite. Most of these plants were introduced by the Chelsea firm which was operating as James Veitch & Sons however, some of the early introductions of James Veitch's original Exeter nursery are listed here too.

Abutilon vitifolium (James Veitch, Exeter)
Acer griseum (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Acer palmatum (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Actinidia chinensis (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)

Actinidia kolomikta. Copyright © Caradoc Doy Actinidia kolomikta
Introduced by Charles Maries, from Japan in 1878 for James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea.

Azara microphylla (James Veitch, Exeter)
Berberidopsis corallina (James Veitch, Exeter)
Berberis darwinii (James Veitch, Exeter)
Berberis wilsoniae (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Ceanothus dentatus floribundus (James Veitch, Exeter)
Ceanothus × veitchianus (James Veitch, Exeter)
Clematis armandii (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Clematis montana grandiflora (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Clematis montana rubens (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Corylopsis sinensis calvescens veitchiana (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Corylopsis spicata (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Cotoneaster dammeri (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Crinodendron hookerianum (James Veitch, Exeter)
Davidia involucrata (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Desfontainea spinosa (James Veitch, Exeter)
Deutzia gracilis (James Veitch, Exeter)
Deutzia longifolia 'Veitchii' (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Dipelta floribunda (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)

Embothrium coccineum. Embothrium coccineum
Introduced by William Lobb in 1846 and re-introduced by Richard Pearce 1860-62 for James Veitch's Nursery in Exeter. First flowered in Britain in 1853.

Enkianthus campanulatus (James Veitch, Exeter)
Escallonia 'Langleyensis' (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Escallonia rubra var. macrantha (James Veitch, Exeter)
Euonymus fortunei radicans 'Variegatus' (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Fargesia nitida (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Hamamelis mollis (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Hydrangea macrophylla 'Mariesii' (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Hydrangea macrophylla 'Veitchii' (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Ilex pernyi (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Jasminum mesnyi (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Kolkwitzia amabalis (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Lapageria rosea (James Veitch, Exeter)
Larix kaempferi (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Lonicera pileata (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Lonicera tragophylla (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Luma apiculata (James Veitch, Exeter)
Magnolia delavayii (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Magnolia kobus (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Magnolia liliiflora 'Nigra' (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Magnolia stellata (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Malus hupehensis (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Musa basjoo (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Olearia × haastii (James Veitch, Exeter)

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Parthenocissus henryana. Copyright © Caradoc Doy Parthenocissus henryana
Discovered in China by Dr. Augustine Henry circa 1885.
Introduced to Britain by Ernest H. Wilson in 1900 whilst on his first expedition to China (1899-1902) for James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea.

Parthenocissus tricuspidata 'Veitchii' (James Veitch & Sons,
Chelsea)
Phormium tenax 'Variegatum' (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)

Phormium tenax 'Variegatum'. Copyright © Caradoc Doy Phormium tenax 'Variegatum'
It is uncertain who introduced this striking New Zealand Flax but it is recorded that it was put into commerce by Messrs James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea in 1866.

Physalis alkekengi var. franchetii (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Potentilla fruticosa 'Veitchii' (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Primula denticulata (James Veitch, Exeter)
Prunus 'Fugenzô' (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Rhododendron calophytum (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Rosa moyesii (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Sarcococca humilis (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Sarcococca ruscifolia (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Sciadopitys verticillata (James Veitch, Exeter and later re-introduced by James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)
Sequoiadendron giganteum (James Veitch, Exeter)

Thuja plicata. Copyright © Caradoc Doy Thuja plicata
Introduced by William Lobb in 1853 whilst collecting in North America for James Veitch's Nursery in Exeter. This ia a huge specimen for Britain as the tree has only been here 155 years. This one was pictured in the grounds of Poltimore House in Devon.

Tropaeolum speciosum (James Veitch, Exeter)
Ugni molinae (James Veitch, Exeter)
Viburnum davidii (James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea)

Viburnum rhytidophyllum. Copyright © Caradoc Doy Viburnum rhytidophyllum
Introduced by Ernest H. Wilson, from China in 1900 for James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea.

...and this list does not contain any of the fruit, vegetable, orchid or greenhouse plant introductions for which the Chelsea nursery became world famous for.

Click here for more details about the Veitch Nurseries.

Please contact me by email if you have spotted any errors in the details about the Veitch Nurseries or the plant collectors exploring for Veitch. I would also welcome any further information or references which help to fill any gaps in the above.

Links to other sites are for reference and further information.
No responsibility will be accepted for advice or views expressed by other organisations.

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Veitch Nurseries

Veitch Plant Introductions

Veitch Nurseries

Veitch Plants For Sale

Stockists of the Centenary Reprint